Still



April 23, 1929, E. H. RECORDS 1,710,070

STILL Filed Feb. 24, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 @www Patented Apr. 23, 1929.

UNITED STATES ELMER H. RECURD'S, 0F SIPOKANE, WASHINGTON.

STILL.

Application led February 24, 1925. Serial No. 11,132.

My present invention relates to improvements in stills for the distillation of highly volatile gases as carbonic oxide gas, and setting free hydrogen gas from coal by the chemical action of superheated steam for the production of heating gases to be used in stoves or furnaces and for the production of coke in the form of the solid carbon as a residue after distillation. Both the gaseous and solid products of the distillation provide heating fuels especially adapted for and efficient in use in various ways.

While the apparatus of my invention is capable of uses other than as above set forth, for convenience of description and illustration, I shall hereinafter refer to the appliance as a coal still.

By the utilization of the apparatus of my invention I sec-ure a close, intimate and maximum contact of steam with the entire area of the coal bed which is thoroughly pene-.

trated by the steam to insure a rapid and complete destructive distillation by the heat fromv 30 taining in a substantial manner the temperature of the interior of the still.

The invention consists in certain novel combinations and arrangements of parts as -will hereinafter be more fully set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated one complete example of the physical embodiment of my invention wherein the parts are combined and arranged in acccrdance with the best mode I have thus far devised for the,practical'application of the principles of my invention.

Figure 1 is a vertical central sectional view of a still embodying my invention with la charging bucket therein.

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view at line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the still.

Figure 4 is a plan view at the Vunderside of the charging bucket illustrating its drop bottom. n

' Figure 5 is a detail view of one of the bottom sections with its locking device.

n Figure 6 is a view in side elevation showing a tar still which may be used in conjunction with the coal still.

In carrying out my invention I utilize an upright cylinder l having a closed bottom 2 and removable lid or cover 3, the lat-ter being hinged at 4 to swing in a horizontal plane on the pivot bolt 4. An eye bolt 5" is provided 1n the cover for use with a suitable tool or appliance for swinging the cover when required. The hinge bolt 4 is disposed in a horizontal bracket plate 6 which extends laterally a sufficient distance to afford a support for the cover when it is swung open at either side of the pivot bolt, and an upper hinge strap 7 is riveted or bolted to the coverto complete the hinge joint.

At the upper end or edge of the cylinder 1 a clamp ring 8 is attached on its exterior, and sald rin ,1s provided with an annular horizontal ange 9 having a series of radial notches 10 spaced at regular intervals around lts periphery. Between the flange and the cover a gasket 11 is interposed td insure an air and steam tight joint.

The periphery of the cover is fashioned with a series of radial notches 12 complementary to the notches 10 of the flanged ring, and a series of iclamp bolts 13 are swiveled or hinged on the ianged ring to swing up into complementary pairs of these notches. Lock nuts 14 on the bolts are employed to clamp the cover over the upper end of the cylinder to insure 'a steam tight joint while the still is operating.

At the lower end of the cylinder a steam inlet pipe 15 is provided and near the upper end of the cylinder a steam outlet pipe 16 is connected for carrying oif the fumes and gases of distillation. The superheated steam is supplied to the cylinder under suitable pressure i and passes through the bed of coal and through thek still as indicated by the arrows in Figure 1.

The nipple 17 is provided on the outlet pipe for connection with a tar still if desired, and for this purpose interior threads 18 are used in the nipple, as seen in Figure 1.

The tar still referred to may be located at a convenient place adjacent to the present still and it may be heated by suitable means foillfurther treatment of the productfof this sti At a suitable place in the cylinder, say approximately one-third the distance from the top of the still, a {langed suspending ring 19 is attached by rivets or bolts, and near the bottom of the cylinder is arranged a series of spaced guide bars 20 attached to the cylinder wall. The suspending ring and guide bars are 'for the purpose of supporting and guiding the charging bucket 2l in which the bed of coal is contained, and which as seen in Figure l is suspended in the ring within the cylinder v with its bottom elevated above the bottom nular space or chamber 22 between the eX- 5 terior of the bucketvand the inner faces of the wall of the cylinder. A portion of this chamber. is also provided beneath the bucket, and as seen in Figure 1 the suspending ring 19 closes the upper end of the annular chamber.

is contained is fashioned with an upper open end and is provided with a hail 23 for use in connection with a crane or other bucket-handling device. The walls of the bucket are perforated as at 24 for the admission of steam from the annular chamber or space 22.

On the exterior of the bucket near its up per edge is attached a flanged ring 25 adapted to rest upon the supporting ring 19 in the interior of the cylinder. ,y

At the center of the charging bucket 1s arranged a tube or standpipe 26, open at its R lower end, and with its upper end terminating below the upper edgeof the bucket. The upper end of the stand pipe. is provided with a foraminous closure or screen 27 which permits passage therethrough of steam from the stand pipe, but prevents coal from the bed falling into or through the pipe.

Lateral braces 28 and 29 form spider frames attached at their outer ends to the bucket for maintaining the stand pipe in upright position at the center ofthe bucket, and it will be understood that the charge or bed of coal in the bucket may extend abovek the top spider frame.

The charging bucket is provided with a drop bottom which when opened permits ready discharge therethrough of the coke or residue after distillation. The drop bottom is fashioned in two semi-circular sections 30 and 3l which when closed form a circular disk or closure with a central circular opening 32 for accommodation of the lower end of the stand pipe 26.

These bottom sections are hinged to the bucket' at 33 to swing downwardly and inwardly and the sections when closed, are latched or locked in this position by means of spring pressed slide bolts 34 located at the opposite free ends of the swinging sections. The slide bolts are adapted to engage perfo- The charge bucket in whichthe bed of coal;

rated keepers 35 attached within the bucket and projecting below its lower edge 'as seen in Figure 5. Guide plates 36 are carried bythe bottom v sections toguide and retain the bolts, and each bolt has a spring 37 normally steam for carrying olf the gases through the outlet pipe. The gases thus driven off may be gathered and condensed by means of suit-V able condensers, and separated for various uses as desired.

After one charge of coal in a bucket has been subjected to the action of the superheated steam, for say thirty to forty minutes, the cover is released andV swung out of the way for withdrawal of the bucket, and immediately a succeeding bucket with anadditional charge therein is lowered into the cylinder, the cover returned to position and locked in place, the steam which during the change has been turnedof, is again supplied to the cylinder and the procedure is repeated, without undue waste of steam or material reductipi in the temperature of the interior 0f the sti The residue or coke remaining in the bucket after the volatile gases have been carried off provides a desirable and smokeless fuel for use in cooking stoves, heating stoves, furnaces and the like, which fuel having had the moisture removed therefrom affords a more inflammable material and furnishes more heat units per pound than is untreated coal.

When treatingJ extremely line coal for the extraction of volatile gases a screen of line mesh may be fixed in the bottom of the bucket to 1prevent the line coal from clogging up the openings in the bottom sections. Y

In Figure 6 a tar still 39 is shown which may be used in conjunction with the coal still to release the volatile gases from the byproduct, or for other similar purposes. still is illustrated merely to indicate one means of disposing of the by-product from the still of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters `igatent is l. The combination with a still-cylinder having an inlet for steam, an outlet for volatile gases, and supporting means within the cylinder, of a removable charging bucket having a perforated bottom and perforated side walls, and forming an annular steam pas- This sage Within the cylinder, and said bucket having a central pipe supported therein, open at both -ends and leading to the outside of the bucket.

2. A charging-bucket for use with a still comprising a perforated Wall-structure, a central pipe Within the bucket and supported from its Walls, said pipe being open at both ends and leading to the outside of the bucket,

a drop bottom for the bucket comprising l0 In testimony whereof I aiix my signa- 15 tu re.

ELMER H. RECORDS. 

